Alkali-ionization and oxidation inhibiting composition

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a material for the purification of fluids. More particularly, the present invention relates to a material for flocculating and separating organic substances or surface active agents contained in waste water.

This is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 07/756,809, filed on Sep. 9, 1991,now U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,285, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.07/276,265, filed on Nov. 25, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,255.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to a material for the purification offluids. More particularly, the present invention relates to a materialfor flocculating and separating organic substances or surface activeagents contained in waste water.

b 2. Description of the Prior Art:

Presently, one of the most widely used treatments for waste watercontaining organic substances is an activated sludge process. Accordingto the activated sludge process, micro-organisms such as bacteria arepropagated, organic substances in the sludge are adsorbed in themicro-organisms and the impurities are sedimented and separated. Thisprocess exerts a very high purifying capacity. Treated water accordingto the activated sludge process can be directly discharged into riversand the like as long as certain water quality regulation are met.

In the conventional activated sludge process, if waste water containingcorruptible organic substances such as animal oils is treated, thequality of treated water satisfies the standard value, but the qualityof treated water is not so sufficient that treated water is completelyharmless to a natural water zone, because the pH value is in the acidicregion, each of BOD and COD is about 30 to about 80 ppm and the smell isnot completely removed. Moreover, this treated water cannot be suitablyused as industrial water or washing water. Moreover, if an activatedsludge tank is maintained at a temperature of 20° to 30° C. suitable forpropagation of micro-organisms, aeration is always necessary for supplyof oxygen and other conditions should be set, and a long time isnecessary for completion of the treatment and complicated equipment isnecessary. Accordingly, the equipment cost is large, and a largemaintenance fee and a great deal of labor are necessary.

As the flocculating agent for flocculating organic substances and thelike contained in waste water, there can be mentioned alumina sulfate,poly(aluminum) chloride and ferric chloride. In addition, calciumphosphate derived from an animal bone powder has been used as an activecalcium agent or flocculating agent.

Calcium phosphate derived from animal bone powder, as well as variousother additives such as preservative agents for inhibiting the growth ofmicro-organisms, and anti-oxidants for preventing deterioration byoxidation, have been used for maintaining freshness in fluids and foodsand attaining a preservative effect. For example, as the preservativeagent for foods, there can be mentioned food additives such as not onlybenzoic acid, sorbic acid and propionic acid, but also a sheet or bagformed by sandwiching a powder of active carbon having a fungicidalaction to bacteria with a synthetic resin film, paper or woven sheet anda paper impregnated with water containing active carbon. As theanti-oxidant, there can be mentioned food additives such as not onlyascorbic acid and erysorbic acid but also a bag having an active carbonpowder sealed therein.

Active carbon having an adsorbing action, tertiary iron oxide andceramics can be used for filtering and deodorizing an aqueous solutionand/or air containing impurities and organic substances.

The above-mentioned additives have an effect of preserving fluids andfoods, but they also have a risk of jeopardizing the safety of the humanbody. Some additives can even have harmful actions such as carcinogenicand teratogenic actions. In addition, active carbon and a bag havingactive carbon sealed therein are poor in the preservative effect oroxidation-preventive effect.

Active carbon and tertiary iron oxide exert a filtering action as theadsorbent, but the life is short and regeneration after the application,or repeated use, is impossible. Since ceramics are inorganic substances,they do not react with organic substances, and accordingly, they do notfunction sufficiently as the filtering material.

As a means for obviating the above-mentioned disadvantages, there havebeen proposed various processes in which calcium phosphate derived froman animal bone powder is used as an active calcium agent or flocculatingagent. Calcium phosphate has also been used in various fields forantiseptic and flavor-improving additives, acid neutralizers,dechlorinating agents for service water and flocculating agents fororganic waste waters (see Japanese Patent Publications No. 53816/84 andNo. 6365/81 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specifications No.5309/81, No. 231965/86 and No. 4490/87). All of the above-mentioneddocuments are incorporated herein by reference as if the entire contentsthereof were fully set forth herein.

According to these known processes, however, calcium phosphate additivesare prepared only by calcining an animal bone to remove the majority oforganic substances and carbon by combustion, or only by boiling orsteaming an animal bone to remove the majority of organic substances andcarbon. Accordingly, removal of carbon or sulfides is insufficient, andthese processes are defective in that high-quality products cannot beobtained.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome theabove-mentioned defects and provide a purification agent composedessentially of animal bone. Such a purification agent preventsputrefaction of foods, has a sufficient freshness-preservative effect,is nontoxic to the human body, is suitable for ion exchange in water andair, removal of a smell by adsorption, and purging of impuritiesincluding organic substances. It is also desirable that such apurification agent be useable for a long time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flocculatingagent which can react in a neutral or alkaline zone to preventenvironmental pollution by treating water and has such a high reactivitythat it reacts with tap or service water or comparable water, and whichcan exert a sufficient function with a very small amount used.

A still another object of the present invention is to provide an animalbone-containing flocculating agent especially suitable for a waste watertreatment, which treatment method is different from the conventionalactivated sludge process utilizing micro-organisms such as bacteria forseparation of impurities contained in waste water, and in whichconditions set are simplified, the equipment and maintenance aresimplified, waste water, especially waste water containing corruptibleorganic substances derived from animals, is deodorized, sterilized andpurified in a short time, and in which the regenerated water has aquality comparable or superior to that of service water. It is desirablethat such an agent does not cause additional pollution even if it isdischarged in a natural water zone and that such an agent is suitablefor reutilization in a broad region.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a firstactivating material (alkali ionization-promoting material having finepores), which comprises animal bone material which is calcined so thatthe water content is below several % and is pulverized or powdered intoa chipped, granular or powdery state.

Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provideda first process for the preparation of the first activating materialcomposed of an animal bone, which comprises sufficiently boiling a crudeanimal bone cut to an appropriate size at a temperature of about 200° toabout 400° C., calcining the boiled bone at a temperature of about 900°to about 1100° C. so that the water content is below several percent,cooling the bone to room temperature or a lower temperature, andchipping or pulverizing the bone to a granular or powdery state.

Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided asecond activating material and a second process for the preparation ofan animal bone-containing activating material, the second activatingmaterial comprising mixing an animal bone material prepared according toa first process with a calcined magnetic clay powder, adding water tothe mixture, granulating the mixture to an appropriate shape, drying thegranulated mixture and calcining the granulated mixture at a temperatureof about 800° to 1100° C. so that the water content is below severalpercent.

Still further, in accordance with the present invention, there isprovided a flocculating agent and a third process thereof, the agentcomprising a solution of a first animal bone material in sulfuric acidor hydrochloric acid.

Still further, in accordance with the present invention, there isprovided a fourth process for the preparation of a flocculating agentcomprising a solution of a bone animal, which comprises dissolving ananimal bone material prepared according to the first process in sulfuricacid or hydrochloric acid to obtain an animal bone solution, separatelydissolving a mixture of copper with iron or zinc in sulfuric acid orhydrochloric acid to obtain a metal solution and uniformly mixing boththe solutions to form a homogeneous composition.

Still further, in accordance with the present invention, there isprovided a fifth process for the preparation of a flocculating agentcomprising a solution of an animal bone, which comprises dissolving ananimal bone material prepared according to the first process in sulfuricacid or hydrochloric acid, the amount of the animal bone material beingabout 1 kg per about 1 to about 1.5 liters of the acid, adding water tothe bone solution to dilute the bone solution, forming a metal solutionby dissolving a mixture of copper with iron or zinc in sulfuric acid orhydrochloric acid, the amount of the metal mixture being about 100 g perabout 1 to about 1.5 liters of the acid, adding water to the solution todilute the solution and filtering the solution, and mixing the bonesolution with the metal solution at a volume ratio of from 1/0.3 to1/0.7 to form a homogeneous composition.

The present invention will now be described hereinafter in detail withreference to the accompanied drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a process for preparing a powdered orchipped animal bone according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a process for preparing an activatingmaterial of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a process for preparing a flocculatingagent of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a simple waste watertreatment using a flocculating agent of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a full-scale apparatus forthe waste water treatment using a flocculating agent of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(1) Activating Material (Animal Bone Material)

In the present invention, bones of animals which are mostly discardedfrom stock farms, especially bones of animals having mainly hard bones,such as bovine, equine and sheep, are used as the starting material.Bones of swine and boar consist mainly of soft bones and they are almostdissolved at the boiling step in the preparation process. Accordingly,bones of these animals often cannot be suitably used in the presentinvention.

Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 1, the crude animal bone is cut toan appropriate size appropriate for calcination such as preferably about3 centimeters square and is charged into a pressure vessel (compressionvessel), and the cut bone is boiled in water at about 200° to about 400°C. for about 90 minutes. The size of the bone may vary in size when cutwithin a centimeter or so. Then, the boiled bone is placed in acalcination furnace and calcined at about 900° to about 1100° C. forabout 80 to 180 minutes, and the calcined bone is naturally cooled inthe furnace for about 60 minutes to return the temperature to roomtemperature or a level close thereto.

If organic substances such as gelatin, fats, proteins and glue are leftin the bone, oxidation and putrefaction are caused. It is important thatthese organic substances should be removed with a certainty. Themajority of organic substances present not only on the outside of thebone but also in an infinite number of pores can be removed from thebone by this boiling operation. If the boiling operation is conductedfor a shorter time at a lower temperature, the organic substances cannotbe sufficiently removed and troubles are caused at the subsequentcalcination step. Even if the boiling operation is conducted for alonger time at a higher temperature, no particular advantage is usuallyattained.

By removing the majority of organic substances at the boiling step andpassing the bone through the above-mentioned calcination step, theresidual organic substances can be almost completely removed, andsimultaneously, the humidity (water content) in the bone can be reducedbelow several %, such as below 2-6%, and preferably below 1% to almost0%. If calcination is carried out without the boiling operation, theremay be combustion of organic substances and generation of smokes whichare conspicuous, resulting in environmental pollution, worsening ofworking environment and damage of equipment.

If the calcination is carried out at a lower temperature for a shortertime, the bone is often carbonized, and if the calcination is carriedout at a higher temperature for a longer time, the bone is usuallychanged to ashes. In each case, the intended function of the presentinvention cannot be exerted. If the calcination is carried out under theabove-mentioned conditions, the bone is whitened and the original tissuehaving a large number of pores is maintained.

After the calcination, the calcined bone may be directly frozen anddried. However, in order to prevent increase of the humidity in the boneby rapid cooling and reduction of the pH value of the bone by thehumidity, it is preferred that the calcined bone be naturally cooled andnaturally dried by allowing self-cooling to ambient temperature eitherwithin or outside the calcination equipment. In this case, in order tomaintain the dry state attained at the calcination step, it is preferredthat the calcined bone be cooled to a temperature such as roomtemperature in the range of about 15° C. to about 30° C. whilemaintaining the atmosphere of the calcination chamber. If freeze-dryingis carried out after normal temperature range is restored after thecalcination, the physical properties of the bone material and the drystate can be further stabilized.

After the above-mentioned calcination and cooling operations, the boneis pulverized and is formed into a bone powder having a size of about 20to about 200 mesh, preferably 50 to 100 mesh, by a powdering machine.

This powdering is preferred for forming the activating material of thepresent invention.

In case of a bovine bone, this powdered bone is obtained in a yield of40% based on the weight of the starting crude bone. When 100 g of thebovine bone powder obtained according to the present invention wasanalyzed by the Japanese Association of Food Sanitation, the resultsshown in Table 1 were obtained. An infinite number of fine porescontinuous to the outside and inside of particles of the bovine bonewere present and gelatin, fats, proteins and glue adhering in an amountof about 47.4% to the pores were completely removed and the watercontent was very low (below 1%).

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Calcium  38,000 mg   atomic absorption spectroscopy                           Phosphorus                                                                             17,000 mg   molybdenum blue method                                   Iron     50 mg                                                                Sodium   930 mg                                                               Potassium                                                                              49 mg                                                                Magnesium                                                                              730 mg      atomic absorption spectroscopy                           Arsenic  not detected                                                                              Godzeit method shown in                                  (as As.sub.2 O.sub.3)                                                                  (detection  Sanitary Test Methods compiled                                    limit: 0.1 ppm)                                                                           by Japanese Association of                                                    Pharmacy                                                 Lead     not detected                                                                  (detection                                                                    limit: 0.5 ppm)                                                      Cadmium  not detected                                                                  (detection                                                                    limit: 0.1 ppm)                                                      Zinc     50 ppm                                                               Barium   1.2%        atomic absorption spectroscopy                           ______________________________________                                    

It is preferred that the bone powder be sealed and stored or frozen andstored. This is necessary for preventing intrusion and propagation ofsundry germs in fine pores of the bone material. In the case where thebone material is used as the freshness-maintaining agent or the like forfoods, it is preferred that this preservation method be adopted. If thebone material is used as the filtering material or the like in thefields other than the field of foods, this preservation method need notbe adopted.

At the experiment of mixing the above-mentioned bone powder with coldtap water (ordinary service water), bubbling was caused mainly by thecalcium ion, and the pH value was about 11 in the case of the granularmaterial and 8 to 10 in the case of the powdery material. Moreover, thepH value in warm water was higher than in cold water. It is consideredthat this difference of the pH value may have been due to the humiditywhich may have been increased by adsorption of a small amount of watercontained in air at the pulverization by a powdering machine in the caseof the powdered bone.

If this bone material is used, ion exchange and alkalization of anatmosphere such as a liquid or air and neutralization of an acidicatmosphere are believed to be attained, whereby effects of preventingputrefaction of animals and vegetables, maintaining the freshness andsterilizing animals and vegetables are often attained. Moreover, byvirtue of the presence of fine pores in the bone material, the functioncan be accomplished efficiently and continuously. If a liquid or gas ispassed through a layer formed of the bone material, the purifying actionincluding filtration is exerted, and calcium and other components arenot harmful to the human body at all.

The above-mentioned bone material may be used, for example, for not onlypreventing putrefaction but also maintaining the freshness. A sheetformed by spraying the powdery bone of the present invention on onesurface (the piled surface described hereinafter) of an air-permeablesheet composed preferably of a paper, a non-woven fabric, a syntheticresin film or other appropriate material or by mixing the powdery boneinto the starting material for formation of the above-mentionedair-permeable sheet and integrally molding the mixture can be usedsingly. However, if this sheet is piled (laminated) on anair-impermeable sheet to form a packaging sheet and an animal orvegetable food is wrapped with this packaging sheet so that theair-permeable sheet is located on the inner side, a calcium-ionized andalkalized atmosphere is maintained in the interior, oxidation isprevented and bacteria are sterilized, and high effects are attained forpreventing putrefaction of the content and maintaining the freshness.These effects may be maintained for a long time in case of foods whichare readily putrefied or deteriorated, such as fish and meat.

When the bone material of the present invention was mixed into water(preferably in a proportion of about 15 g of bone material to about oneliter of water) and fish or the like (tuna was used at the experiment)was immersed in the mixture, taken out, wrapped with an ordinary filmand stored in a household refrigerator, discoloration was not causedeven after the passage of two weeks and no putrefaction smell was felt,and a slight putrefaction smell was felt only after about 20 days.Moreover, if a plant was immersed in water in which the alkalizingmaterial of the present invention was incorporated, the plant grewlittle by little as in the rooted state and greenness and freshness tendto increase, and this effect is especially conspicuous in case of afibrous plant such as a leek or a spring onion.

If a sheet formed by applying or incorporating the powder of the presentinvention to or in the above-mentioned manner or a package formed bywrapping the powder of the present invention with a bag formed of anair-permeable sheet is arranged in the bottom of a food tray or box, analkalized atmosphere formed by the calcium ionization is maintainedwithin the tray or box, and therefore, high effects are attained whenthe powder of the present invention is used in this manner. Especially,since gravy or other fluids issuing from fish, meat or the like isadsorbed and alkalized or neutralized, the gravy which is a substantialcause of putrefaction is rendered substantially uncorruptible orodorless.

If a sheet having a similar structure is used as a shoe insole, adeodorizing effect is exerted by the adsorbing action of an infinitenumber of fine pores and also by the alkalization of the atmosphere, andsince this effect is not changed until the bone material is used up orbecomes extinct, the deodorization is maintained over a period of a longtime and dermatophytosis is prevented.

If the powder of the present invention is applied or incorporated to orin a filter composed of a urethane foam or the like, a liquid or gas isalkalized or neutralized from an acidic state by the calcium ion andpurification is attained by the sterilizing action. Furthermore, whenthe chipped material of the present invention is used as a filteringmaterial, weak alkalization (ionization) of service water, which ispreferable for the human body, can be attained, and if air in a room iscirculated through the filtering material of the present invention,purification by alkalization and sterilization can be attained and goodeffects can be exerted on the human body. Moreover, if waste watercontaining organic substances is passed through this filtering material,the waste water is purified through alkalization or neutralization.Still further, if the alkalizing material of the present invention isarranged in a cooling tower, a water heater of the solar heating system,generation of green algae is substantially reduced or prevented andsimultaneously, putrefaction of water is generally prevented.

Since the calcined hard bone material has an infinite number of finepores, if the bone material of the present invention used in theforegoing fields is washed, the adhering impurities are set free and thebone material can be used repeatedly for a long time.

Since the bone material of the present invention is derived from ananimal bone, nutrients such as calcium are contained, and the bonematerial can be incorporated as an additive into a food and can act as apreservative agent or an anti-oxidant without a fear of the toxicitypossessed by conventional synthetic preservative agents and syntheticanti-oxidants.

Moreover, since the bone material of the present invention containspotassium, phosphorus and the like, if a sludge discharged from, forexample, a stock farm is deodorized and dried and is then mixed with thebone material of the present invention, an organic fertilizer isprovided because the deodorized and dried sludge is an organic materialcontaining nitrogen, ammonium sulfate and ammonia. Furthermore, sincethe alkalizing material of the present invention has an infinite numberof fine pores and is in the dry state, the alkalizing material keeps thesoil soft while absorbing oxygen in the soil, and the alkalizingmaterial preferably maintains an alkalizing atmosphere. These functionscan be exerted until the bone material is used up or becomes extinct(typically scores of years). Accordingly, the bone material of thepresent invention is distinguishable over conventional lime or the likewhich is coagulated to solidify the soil, and the bone material of thepresent invention exerts a soil-improving action.

The bone material of the present invention can be used in various fieldsother than the above-mentioned fields.

(2) Activating Material (Mixture of Bone Material and Magnetic Clay)

This activating material will now be described with reference to theflow chart of FIG. 2.

An animal bone-containing activating material is preferably prepared bykneading the above-mentioned animal bone with a binding clay powder andmolding the mixture into a predetermined shape. A zeolite powder orother clay powder having a size of about 200 to about 500 mesh, which ispreferably prepared by firing an inorganic magnetic clay at about 600°C. for about 3 hours and powdering the fired clay is used. An example ofa magnetic clay may be a clay with titaniferous or ferruginouscomponents such as crude kaolin clay or the like.

More specifically, a mixture comprising about 60 to 90% by weight of thebone powder and about 10 to about 40% by weight of the clay powder ismixed and kneaded with about 20 to about 30% by weight of water to forma homogeneous composition, and the composition is molded into aspherical shape having a diameter of about 1 to about 20 mm, a plate orrod having a thickness of about 5 to about 10 mm and a side of about 50mm or other appropriate having a similar size, whereby an animalbone-containing activating material is obtained.

From the practical viewpoint, an activating material having theabove-mentioned size is easy to handle, but the size is not limited to asize within the above-mentioned range.

The animal bone-containing activating material is preferably dried inthe shade appropriately for 2 to 8 days (for a short time in summer orfor a long time in winter) or dried by irradiation with far-infraredrays for an appropriate time to prevent cracking, and the dried materialis calcined at about 800° to about 1000° C. for about 1 to about 2 hoursso that the water content is below several %, preferably to almost 0%.The calcined material is allowed to stand still and is taken out afteran appropriate time of 2 to 6 hours determined according to thecalcination temperature and size, and the material is preferably storedin a state wrapped with an air-impermeable bag or in a frozen state andis appropriately taken out and used.

It is believed that rapid cooling after the calcination causesadsorption of water in the dried bone and reduction of the pH value(acidification), and therefore, this rapid cooling is not preferred.Furthermore, in view of prevention of cracking, this rapid cooling isnot preferred.

In the case where relatively strong binding is necessary, the claypowder is incorporated in a relatively large amount in the animalbone-containing activating material, and in the case where strongadsorption or alkalization is necessary, the bone powder is incorporatedin a relatively large amount, and the mixing ratio is thus changedappropriately according to the intended use. The size can also beappropriately adjusted according to the intended use. For example, inthe case where the material is used for filtration, the clay powder isused in a relatively large amount and the material is molded into arelative size of about 1 to about 5 mm, and if the material is used formaintaining the freshness by preventing oxidation of foods andpreventing deterioration of oils, the amount of the bone powder isincreased and the material is molded in a relatively large size of about5 cm or more.

When the activating material of the present invention is immersed incold water (ordinary service water), bubbling is caused and the pH valueof water is 7.5 to 10. This pH value depends on the mixing ratio of thebone powder and the size of the activating material.

The above-mentioned activating material effects ion exchange in anatmosphere such as a liquid or air and changes an acid state to aneutral or alkaline state in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the activatingmaterial substantially prevents putrefaction of an organic substance oradsorbs or coagulates an organic substance to prevent acidification of aliquid or air and maintain the freshness. Theoretically, thesefunctional effects last long, so far as the bone material is present.

Moreover, if a liquid or air is passed through a layer of the activatingmaterial, filtration and purification can be attained by the adsorbingaction of the activating material.

EXPERIMENT 1

Four pieces of an activating material comprising 80% by weight of abovine bone powder and 20% by weight of a zeolite powder, each piecehaving a diameter of 10 mm and a weight of 6 g, were thrown into 2liters of a frying oil, and this frying oil was used for business for 22days by a lunch provider (this oil is designated as oil B). Separately,the same frying oil in which the activating material was notincorporated was similarly used for business for 22 days by a lunchprovider (this oil is designated as oil A). These oils were subjected tothe deterioration test. The above-mentioned oil B was passed through afiltration layer composed of 500 g of bovine bone particles comprising100% of a bovine bone and having a square shape having a side of severalmm, which were prepared according to the process of the presentinvention, and the filtered oil (this oil is designated as oil C) wassimilarly subjected to the deterioration test. The obtained results areshown in Table 2.

Incidentally, the test was carried out according to the method of theJapanese Association of Food Sanitation, and throwing of the activatingmaterial in the oil was carried out by using a can having many holesformed on the periphery thereof.

                  TABLE 2                                                         ______________________________________                                                  Acid Value Calcium Content                                          ______________________________________                                        Oil A       1.4          0 mg/100 g                                           Oil B       1.0          0.8 mg/100 g                                         Oil C       0.3          0.8 mg/100 g                                         ______________________________________                                    

The acid value was determined according to the standard oil or fatanalyzing test method and the calcium content was determined accordingto the atomic absorption spectroscopy. For reference, the acid value ofthe fresh oil was 0.1 to 0.2.

At the flavor test of fried foods formed by using the foregoing oils, itwas found that the coating fried by the oil B or C was much crisper,plainer and nicer than the coating fried by the oil A and the differencewas conspicuous.

In view of the reactivity of the bone material, the flowability and thefiltration efficiency, an oil temperature of about 50° to about 100° C.was preferred.

As is apparent from the foregoing explanation, if the activatingmaterial of the present invention is incorporated into an oil, organicsubstances included in the oil, such as gravy, sugar and fat, areadsorbed and coagulated to prevent acidification of the oil, and thedeterioration of the oil is prevented by the alkalizing action.Moreover, if an oil is passed through a filtration layer composed of theactivating material of the present invention, impurities and coagulatedorganic substances can be removed by filtration and the quality isrestored to a level close to that of the fresh oil and an effect ofmaintaining the freshness can be attained. Simultaneously, an effect ofadding a bone-constituting material such as calcium to an oil and afried food can be attained.

(3) Animal Bone-Containing Flocculating Agent

Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 3, the above-mentioned animal bonepowder is mixed with sulfuric acid (having a concentration of from about60% to about 95% and preferably about 70% to about 75%). In anexperiment performed, the amount of the animal bone powder was about 1kg per about 1 to about 1.5 liters of the acid having a concentration ofabout 95%, and the bone powder was dissolved over a period of about 2hours (or longer). Water was added to the solution in an amount about 8to about 12 times (by volume) the amount of sulfuric acid to dilute thesolution, and the dilution was filtered to form a bone solution A.

Hydrochloric acid (preferably having about the same concentration as thesulfuric acid) may be used instead of sulfuric acid, but in the casewhere the bone solution is mixed with a metal solution describedhereinafter, sulfuric acid is preferable from the viewpoint of themetal-dissolving capacity. All the concentrations of the acids describedin this patent application are preferably in the ranges of concentrationas disclosed above.

Separately, a mixture comprising 30 to 60 g of iron and 40 to 70 g ofcopper is mixed with about 1 to about 1.5 liters of sulfuric acid, andiron and copper are dissolved over a period of about 24 hours (orlonger). The solution is diluted with water in an amount of about 8 toabout 12 times (by volume) the amount of the solution, and the solutionis filtered to form a metal solution B.

Incidentally, iron and copper have a reactivity with organic substancesand promote coagulation and solidification, and iron and copper exert afunction of facilitating sedimentation of the coagulated solids byimparting a weight thereto. Copper exerts a higher effect but from theeconomical viewpoint, it is preferred that iron be incorporated incopper.

The bone solution A is mixed with the metal solution B at a mixingvolume ratio of from 1/about 0.3 to 1/about 0.7, and in order to form ahomogeneous composition, the mixture is boiled at 80° to 120° C.,preferably about 100° C. for about 30 to about 60 minutes. Thecomposition is then filtered to form an animal bone-containingflocculating agent of the present invention.

The mixture of iron and copper is mentioned as the metal mixture in theforegoing description, but the intended effects can be similarlyattained by combining copper with zinc. Both the metal mixtures exert aprominent effect of coagulating organic substances, but a hightransparency is maintained in water treated with the mixture of copperand zinc. A mixture of zinc and copper is prominently effective forpurification of washing waste water containing a surface active agent,perchloroethylene and a sulfuric acid ester.

Since the bone material which is the main ingredient of the flocculatingagent has an alkali-ionizing action, the animal bone-containingflocculating agent of the present invention reacts effectively in theneutral or alkaline region, irrespectively of the origin of the bone. Inthe case where the pH value of waste water is in the acidic region, inorder to change the pH value to the neutral or alkaline region (7.0 to9.5, preferably 7.0 to 8.5), it is preferred that the flocculating agentbe used in combination with an alkaline reactant such as caustic soda orslaked lime so that the volume ratio of the alkaline reactant to theflocculating agent is about 0.3 to about 0.7. Incidentally, if the pHvalue is higher than 9.5, an acidic reactant such as diluted sulfuricacid is used. In case of life waste water, since sodium chloride,calcium and the like are contained in considerable amounts, the reactionis promoted even if a reactant such as mentioned above is not added.

(4) Waste Water Treatment Using Animal Bone-Containing FlocculatingAgent

Examples of the method and apparatus for the waste water treatment usingthe animal bone-containing flocculating agent of the present inventionwill now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a process suitable for the treatment ofordinary life waste water discharged from an ordinary household orordinary plant.

The apparatus comprises an animal bone-containing flocculating agenttank 1 and a reactant (caustic soda, slaked lime or the like) tank 2,and waste water is first poured into a metering tank 3 for adjustingamounts of the flocculating agent and reactant to be added. Then, wastewater is introduced into a stirring tank 4 and the animalbone-containing flocculating agent is added to waste water. Waste wateris then sufficiently stirred by a stirrer and the reactant is added towaste water, followed by sufficient stirring. Then, waste water is fedto a compression floating tank 5 and organic substances are flocculatedand floated by a compressing action of a compressor. The stirring tank 4may be divided into a flocculating agent mixing tank 4a equipped with astirrer and a flocculating reaction tank 4b equipped with a stirrer.

Treated water which has passed through a skimmer arranged above thecompression floating tank 5 is introduced into a filtering tank 6. Theflocculated solids compressed and floated within the compressionfloating tank 5 are separated by the skimmer and sucked in a sludgetank, and they are deposited as the sludge.

The filtering tank 6 may be a layer of fine sand or a layer of an animalbone-containing granular body prepared by chipping or powdering ananimal bone calcined according to the process of the present invention,kneading the chip or powder with a clay powder, granulating the mixtureand calcining the granulated mixture. Since the former filtering layercan remove fine impurities left after removal of organic substances, thefiltering layer can cope sufficiently with the treatment of ordinarywaste water. The latter filtering layer can perform alkalization andmineralization of treated water by the alkali ionization of the bone inaddition to removal of the above-mentioned impurities, and therefore,the filtering layer is especially effective for the treatment of wastewater having a relatively high degree of contamination with organicsubstances.

The above-mentioned treated water is tasteless and odorless, and even ifthe treated water is directly discharged, there is no risk ofenvironmental pollution and the treated water can be sufficientlyutilized again as washing water for a plant or the like. Furthermore, ifthere is adopted a system for forcibly returning the treated water intothe filtering tank through a different pipe, automatic washing of thefiltering tank becomes possible.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a process suitable for the treatment ofwaste water containing easily corruptible organic substances and havinga high contamination degree, such as waste water discharged from abutchery, a livestock product processing plant or the like or foulwater.

Waste water discharged directly from a butchery or the like isintroduced into an adjusting tank 11 through an automatic screen, andamong solids, impurities having a relatively large particle size areremoved, and the remaining liquid (hereinafter referred to as "wastewater") is stored. The waste water is passed through a metering tank 12for adjusting the flow amount or flow rate per unit time to a levelsuitable for the treatment, and the waste water is introduced into amixing tank 13 and then into a reaction tank 14. Stirring vanes arearranged in both of the tanks, and a reactant feed device 15 for feedinga reactant such as caustic soda or slaked lime and a flocculating agentfeed device 16 for feeding the animal bone-flocculating agent of thepresent invention are connected to these tanks. The reactant is fed sothat the pH value of the waste water is 7.0 to 9.5, and the flocculatingagent is fed in a very small amount based on the concentration (measuredbased on the biochemical oxygen demand BOD). For example, about 25 cc ofthe animal bone-containing flocculating agent is added to 1 m of wastewater having BOD of about 800, and the flocculating agent is mixed intothe waste water with stirring for about 1 to about 5 minutes insequence.

It is preferred that the waste water be made homogeneous by aeration(stirring) prior to incorporation of the reactant and flocculatingagent. This aeration also is preferred in the case where theflocculating agent is added at a subsequent step.

The waste water is introduced into a compression floating tank 17 fromthe lower portion under compression by a compressor, and flocculatedsolids floated by compression are separated by a skimmer arranged aboveand the liquid is introduced into a second reaction tank 18 while theflocculated solids floated above and separated by the skimmer aredischarged into a sludge concentrating tank 31.

The animal bone-containing flocculating agent and the reactant foradjusting the pH value are fed in necessary amounts into the secondreaction tank 18 from a flocculating agent feed device 19 and a reactantfeed device 20, and stirring reaction is carried out and the liquid isfed to a flocculating sedimentation tank 21 where residual organicsubstances that could not be removed at the compression floating tank 17are coagulated and sedimented. The coagulated solids are discharged intothe sludge concentrating tank 31. The treated water is passed through afilter and stored in a store tank 24 for a while, and the treated liquidis delivered at a constant flow rate through a longitudinal filteringtank 23 comprising a layer of sand as the filtering material. Afternatural flowing through the filtering tank 23, the treated water isstored in a store tank 24. Reference numeral 25 represents alongitudinal filtering tank comprising a layer of an animalbone-containing granular body formed by kneading a chip of an animalbone calcined according to the process of the present invention or apowder obtained by powdering the above-mentioned animal bone with a claypowder obtained by calcining and powdering a clay as the binder andgranulating the mixture. The treated water stored in the store tank 24is delivered at a constant rate to the filtering tank 25 and naturallyflows through the filtering tank 25, and ClO₂ is incorporated into thetreated water from a sterilizing device 26 and the sterilized treatedwater is stored in a treated water tank 27. Each of the filtering tanks23 and 25 is disposed to remove residual fine impurities, and thefiltering tank 25 also has a function of alkali-ionizing the treatedwater to mineral water by the bone ingredients such as calcium.

If a back washing blower 28 is connected to the treated water tank 27through a pipe and there is disposed a system for forcibly returning thetreated water into both the filtering tanks 23 and 25 and washing thefiltering tanks, the capacities of the filtering tanks can be maintainedfor a long time. Furthermore, if a regenerated water pump 29 isconnected to the treated water tank 27, the treated water can beutilized again as washing water for a butchery or the like. Of course,even if the treated water is directly discharged, there is no risk ofenvironmental pollution.

In the case where the apparatus of the present invention is combinedwith a waste water disposal equipment according to the conventionalactivated sludge process or the like, treated water discharged from afinal sedimentation tank of the conventional apparatus 30 is introducedinto a second reaction tank 18 and is then treated according to theabove-mentioned procedures.

The sludge accumulated in the sludge concentrating tank 31 isconcentrated, appropriately dried through a sludge treating step andappropriately discarded or naturally fermented after a granulating step.Thus, the sludge can be utilized as a fertilizer or soil improver. Sincethe sludge is composed of deposited organic materials, the sludge exertsan excellent effect as a natural fertilizer or soil improver.

EXPERIMENT 2

Untreated waste water (hereinafter referred to as starting water) Adischarged from a meat center (butchery) located at Kumamoto Prefecture,Japan, treated water B formed by treating the starting water by anordinary activated sludge treatment apparatus being operated at thismeat center, and treated water C formed by treating the starting waterthrough the process of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 wereanalyzed at the Drug and Chemical Inspection Center of the KumamotoPharmaceutist Association. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

                  TABLE 3                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item                                                                             Sample A   Sample B   Sample C                                    ______________________________________                                        pH          6.7 (27.0° C.)                                                                    7.6 (26.0° C.)                                                                    6.8 (25.0° C.)                       SS (mg/l)   1.0 × 10.sup.3                                                                     80         1                                           COD (mg/l)  7.2 × 10.sup.2                                                                     62         6.0                                         BOD (mg/l)  1.6 × 10.sup.5                                                                     39         1.1                                         Number of E. coli                                                                         1.7 × 10.sup.5                                                                     7.1 × 10.sup.3                                                                     0                                           (cells per cm.sup.3)                                                          n-Hexane extracted                                                                        71         not tested 1.6                                         substances                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

BOD represents the biochemical oxygen demand, COD represents thechemical oxygen demand, and SS represents the suspended substance. ThepH value was determined according to Standard 2.1, SS was determinedaccording to Official Notice No. 59 of the Environment Agency, COD wasdetermined according to Standard 17, BOD was determined according toStandard 21, the number of E. coli was determined according toConstruction Ordinance No. 1 of the Welfare Ministry, and the n-hexaneextracted substance was determined according to the Table of OfficialNotice No. 64 of the Environment Agency. The Standard was JIS K-0102.

EXPERIMENT 3

Starting water A discharged from a meat processing factory (butchery)located at Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, and treated water C formed bytreating the starting water C through the process of the presentinvention shown in FIG. 5 were analyzed at the Kagoshima PollutionPrevention Association. The obtained results are shown in Table 4.

                  TABLE 4                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item  Sample A   Sample C                                            ______________________________________                                        pH             6.0        8.4                                                 SS (mg/l)      3610       lower than 5.0                                      COD (mg/l)     470        7.9                                                 BOD (mg/l)     1870       15.5                                                Number of E. coli                                                                            7.0 × 10.sup.5                                                                     0                                                   (cells/ml)                                                                    n-Hexane extracted                                                                           1620       lower than 2.5                                      substance (mg/l)                                                              ______________________________________                                    

The analysis methods adopted were the same as those adopted inExperiment 2.

EXPERIMENT 4

Starting water A discharged from a meat center (butchery) located atKitakyushu City, Japan, treated water B formed by treating the startingwater A by an ordinary activated sludge treatment apparatus beingoperated at this meat center, and treated water C formed by treating thestarting water A through the process of the present invention shown inFIG. 5, were analyzed by the Kitakyushu Environment MaintenanceAssociation. The obtained results are shown in Table 5.

                  TABLE 5                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item                                                                             Sample A   Sample B   Sample C                                    ______________________________________                                        SS (mg/l)    253       108        lower than 1                                COD (mg/l)  6400       120        7                                           BOD (mg/l)  9800       50         4                                           Number of E. coli                                                                         5.6 × 10.sup.5                                                                     5.2 × 10.sup.3                                                                     0                                           (cells/cm.sup.3)                                                              ______________________________________                                    

Other data were substantially the same as those obtained in Experiment2. The measurement methods were the same as those adopted in Experiment2.

EXPERIMENT 5

Starting water A discharged from a meat processing plant (butchery)located at Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and treated water C formed bytreating the starting water A through the process of the presentinvention shown in FIG. 5, were analyzed at the Japanese EnvironmentalSanitation Center Incorporation. The obtained results are shown in Table6.

                  TABLE 6                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item  Sample A   Sample C                                            ______________________________________                                        pH             7.1 (25.0° C.)                                                                    6.6 (25.0° C.)                               SS (mg/l)      450        lower than 1                                        COD (mg/l)     420        5.8                                                 BOD (mg/l)     800        6                                                   Number of E. coli                                                                            above 160 × 10.sup.5                                                               0                                                   (cells/ml)                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The number of E. coli was determined according to the MPN method, andother measurement methods were the same as those adopted in Experiment2.

EXPERIMENT 6

Starting water A discharged from a broiler processing company located atMiyazaki Prefecture, Japan, treated water B formed by treating thestarting water A by an ordinary activated sludge treatment apparatusbeing operated at this company, and treatment apparatus being operatedat this company, and treated water C formed by treating the startingwater A through the process of the present invention shown in FIG. 5,were analyzed at the Miyazaki Pollution Preventing Association. Theobtained results are shown in Table 7.

                  TABLE 7                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item                                                                             Sample A   Sample B   Sample C                                    ______________________________________                                        pH          6.5 (27.0° C.)                                                                    6.9 (27.0° C.)                                                                    7.2 (27.0° C.)                       SS (mg/l)   870        84         1.2                                         COD (mg/l)  510        35         2.8                                         BOD (mg/l)  1700       56         3.0                                         Number of E. coli                                                                         6.6 × 10.sup.6                                                                     1.3 × 10.sup.4                                                                     0                                           (cells/cm.sup.3)                                                              n-Hexane extracted                                                                         56        below 0.5  below 0.5                                   substance(mg/l)                                                               ______________________________________                                    

EXPERIMENT 7

Treated water C was obtained by treating starting water A dischargedfrom a seasoned pollack spawn making plant through the process of thepresent invention shown in FIG. 5 by using a solution of zinc and copperas the metal solution of the flocculating agent instead of the solutionof iron and copper. The starting water A and treated water C wereanalyzed at the Kyushu Environment Maintenance Association. The obtainedresults are shown in Table 8. Incidentally, the measurements wereconducted according to JIS K-0102.

                  TABLE 8                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item  Sample A  Sample C                                             ______________________________________                                        BOD (mg/l)     12200     886                                                  COD (mg/l)     2110      185                                                  SS (mg/l)      5400       2                                                   ______________________________________                                    

EXPERIMENT 8

Treated water C was obtained by treating starting water A from a laundryfor dry-cleaning household carpets, clothes and the like in the samemanner as described in Experiment 7 by using the flocculating agentcomprising the solution of zinc and copper as the metal solution. Thestarting water A and treated water C were analyzed at the AriakeEnvironment Maintenance Association. The obtained results are shown inTable 9.

                  TABLE 9                                                         ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item  Sample A  Sample C                                             ______________________________________                                        BOD (mg/l)     231       18                                                   COD (mg/l)     107       14                                                   SS (mg/l)       53       4.3                                                  ______________________________________                                    

Incidentally, BOD was determined according to the membrane electrodemethod of Standard 21, COD was determined according to the titrationmethod of Standard 17, and SS was determined according to the methodshown in the Table of Official Notice No. 59 of the Environment Agency.

EXPERIMENT 9

Treated water B formed by treating starting water discharged from alaundry for dry-cleaning business carpets, business bedquilts, businesstowels and the like by a treatment apparatus annexed to the laundry byusing a conventional flocculating agent comprising ferric chloride,alumina sulfate and the like, and treated water C formed by treating thetreated water B through the above-mentioned process of the presentinvention by using the flocculating agent of the present invention(comprising the above mentioned solution of zinc and copper as the metalsolution), were analyzed by Kure Kiko K. K. The obtained results areshown in Table 10. The measurements were conducted according to JISK-0102.

                  TABLE 10                                                        ______________________________________                                        Analysis Item  Sample B  Sample C                                             ______________________________________                                        pH (25° C.)                                                                           6.99      6.18                                                 BOD (mg/l)     43.4      20.8                                                 COD (mg/l)     55.1      13.1                                                 SS (mg/1)      72.3      3.8                                                  ______________________________________                                    

EXPERIMENT 10

According to the conventional procedures, service water had beensterilized by sodium hypochlorite, BOD and COD had been reduced byalumina sulfate, and SS had been reduced by active carbon. When theflocculating agent of the present invention was added to starting waterfor this service water (about 20 cc per m³ of starting water),coagulation of organic substances was conspicuous, and the values of therespective analysis items were reduced to levels of 1/scores to1/several hundreds of the values of purified water obtained according tothe conventional procedures, and reduction of COD was especiallyconspicuous. Furthermore, when the flocculating agent of the presentinvention was added to purified water according to the conventionalprocedures, coagulation of organic substances and the like could beobserved with the naked eye.

In each of the foregoing experiments, sample A had a strong fishy orfoul smell and sample B had a weak putrefaction smell, but sample C hadno substantial smell and was colorless and transparent.

Sample C was highly regenerated by a high purifying action so that itcould be used as drinking water. When sample C was drunk by 20 men, itwas confirmed that sample A tasted lighter and sweeter than servicewater and the taste was similar to that of so-called mineral water.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, when water regenerated bythe apparatus according to the present invention is used as industrialwater, washing water and the like, if used water is purified by theapparatus again, regenerated water can be used repeatedly, and a waterresource-saving effect can be attained.

Incidentally, since the coagulated solids separated by theabove-mentioned treatments are organic substances, if they are subjectedto an appropriate treatment, they can be utilized as fertilizers orcomposts.

In summary, the invention relates to an activating material composedmainly of animal bone, a flocculating agent composed mainly of theactivating material and processes for the preparation thereof.

The present invention relates to a pulverized or powdered animal boneand processes for the preparation thereof. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to an activating material exerting functionsof preventing putrefaction of organic substances, maintaining freshnessin foods, and filtering and cleaning waste water or air by utilizingfine pores and alkali ionization-promoting properties of an animal bone,to a flocculating agent for flocculating and separating organicsubstances or surface active agents contained in waste water and also toprocesses for the preparation thereof.

All the documents, patent publications and standards are incorporatedherein by reference as if they were set forth in their entirety herein.

The invention as described hereinabove in the context of a preferredembodiment is not to be taken as limited to all of the provided detailsthereof, since modifications and variations thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An alkali-ionization and oxidation inhibitingcomposition for at least one of: promoting alkali-ionization in anenvironment, inhibiting oxidation within the environment, adsorbingcontaminants from the environment, and filtering contaminants from theenvironment, said composition comprising a component, said componentconsisting essentially of:a porous, beneficiated, calcined animal bonepresent in a quantity sufficient to at least one of: promotealkali-ionization in the environment, promote adsorption within theenvironment, promote filtration within the environment, and inhibitoxidation within the environment; said porous, beneficiated, calcinedanimal bone having a water content of less than about 6% by weight; saidporous, beneficiated, calcined animal bone being pulverized bone whichis pulverized into a powder of particles having a size between about 20mesh to about 200 mesh, said particles being sufficiently large tomaintain the porous structure of the bone; said particles having a bonestructure maintaining a substantial portion of the pores of the originalbone tissue sufficient to provide an increased surface area and anincreased reactive area of said particles; and said particles havingsubstantially all organic materials removed therefrom.
 2. Thecomposition according to claim 1, wherein:the particles consistessentially of a bone structure maintaining a large number of the poresof the original bone tissue; and said calcined animal bone comprisescalcined animal bone prepared by a method comprising the steps of:beneficiating crude animal bone to a size of about 3 centimeters square;boiling the bone in water at about 200° C. to about 400° C. for about 90minutes to remove organic substances therefrom, the organic substancescomprising at least one of: gelatin, fats, proteins, and glue; calciningthe boiled bone at a temperature between about 900° C. to about 1100° C.for a time between about 80 minutes to about 180 minutes to reduce thewater content of the bone to said amount less than about 6%; cooling thecalcined bone to room temperature over a time period of about 60minutes; and further beneficiating the bone to said size between about20 mesh to about 200 mesh.
 3. The composition according to claim 2,wherein:the alkali-ionization and oxidation inhibiting compositioncomprises the porous, beneficiated, calcined animal bone in a mixturewith at least one of: a zeolite clay powder and a magnetic clay powderto form a mixture; and at least a portion of the mixture is in a formcomprising predetermined shapes having predetermined sizes; and theshaped mixture being further calcinated subsequent to the forming of thepredetermined shapes.
 4. The composition according to claim 3,wherein:the magnetic clay powder comprises a calcined powder of at leastone magnetic clay; and the at least one magnetic clay comprises at leastKaolin clay.
 5. The composition according to claim 4, wherein:said watercontent of the calcined animal bone is an amount between substantially0% to about 6%; said calcined animal bone comprises substantially hardbones, the substantially hard bones being from at least one of thefollowing animals:at least one bovine animal, at least one equineanimal, and at least one sheep; the particles of beneficiated, porouscalcined animal bone having a particle size between about 50 mesh toabout 100 mesh; the clay comprises a powder having a particle size of200 to 500 mesh, and the clay powder is prepared by the steps of: firingthe clay at 600° C. for about 3 hours, and powdering the clay; themixture of calcined bone and clay powder comprises: from 60% bone and40% clay powder to 90% bone and 10% clay powder mixed with 20% to 30% byweight of water; the mixture is shaped into at least one of:sphereshaving a diameter of from about 1 mm to about 20 mm; and rods and plateshaving a thickness of from about 5 mm to about 10 mm and a length ofabout 50 mm; and the shaped mixture comprises a mixture treated by themethod comprising the steps of:drying the shaped mixture by oneof:drying at room temperature for 2 to 8 days; and irradiating with farinfra-red rays; calcining the dried shaped mixture at about 800° C. toabout 1000° C. for a time period between about 1 hour to about 2 hoursto lower the moisture content to an amount between about 0% and about6%; cooling the calcined shaped mixture for a time period between about2 to about 6 hours; and said alkali-ionization and oxidation inhibitingcomposition being one of:a food preservative for preserving foods, saidcomposition being configured for promoting alkali-ionization andinhibiting oxidation of an environment adjacent to the food; a materialfor purifying fluids, said composition being configured for promotingalkali-ionization in the fluids, and adsorbing and filteringcontaminants from the fluids; and an odor removing material, saidcomposition being configured for promoting alkali-ionization andadsorption adjacent odorous material.
 6. The composition according toclaim 2, further comprising a substrate configured for supporting saidbone particles thereon, said substrate being configured for passage offluid therethrough for flow-through purification of the fluid as thefluid flows through the supported bone particles.
 7. The compositionaccording to claim 2, further comprising sheet means, said sheet meanshaving said bone particles incorporated thereinto, said sheet meansbeing configured for being disposable in an odorous environment toremove the odors from the environment.
 8. A food preservative forpreserving foods by promoting alkali-ionization and inhibiting oxidationof an environment adjacent to the foods, said food preservative beingporous, said food preservative having an active component present in aquantity sufficient to promote at least one of: alkali-ionization andinhibit oxidation of the environment, said active component consistingessentially of:a porous, beneficiated calcined animal bone present in aquantity sufficient to promote at least one of: alkali-ionization andinhibit oxidation of the environment; the porous, beneficiated calcinedanimal bone having a water content of less than about 6 percent byweight; said porous, beneficiated, calcined animal bone being pulverizedbone which is pulverized into a powder consisting essentially ofparticles having a size between about 20 mesh to about 200 mesh and saidparticles being sufficiently large to maintain the porous structure ofthe bone; the particles consisting essentially of a bone structuremaintaining a substantial proportion of the pores of the original bonetissue sufficient to provide an increased surface area and an increasedreactive area of each particle; and the particles having substantiallyall organic materials removed from the pores and from the bone.
 9. Thefood preservative according to claim 8, wherein:the particles consistessentially of a bone structure maintaining a large number of the poresof the original bone tissue; the porous, beneficiated calcined animalbone is in a mixture with at least one of: a zeolite clay powder and amagnetic clay powder to form a mixture; at least a portion of themixture is in a form comprising predetermined shapes havingpredetermined sizes, the shaped mixture being further calcinatedsubsequent to the forming of the predetermined shapes; the magnetic claypowder comprising a calcined powder of at least one magnetic clay; andthe at least one magnetic clay comprising at least Kaolin clay.
 10. Thefood preservative according to claim 8, wherein said food preservativecomprises one of:an air-permeable sheet, the air-permeable sheetcomprising said beneficiated, porous calcined animal bone therein, theair-permeable sheet for being disposed at least adjacent food to bepreserved to alkalize the environment adjacent the food; anair-permeable bag enclosing said beneficiated, porous calcined animalbone therein, the air-permeable bag for being disposed adjacent food tobe preserved to alkalize the environment adjacent the food; and asolution of about 15 g of beneficiated, porous calcined animal bonemixed into about 1 liter of water to produce a preservative solution forimmersing the food to be preserved into to alkalize the environmentadjacent the food.
 11. The food preservative according to claim 10,wherein said calcined animal bone comprises calcined animal boneprepared by a method comprising the steps of:beneficiating crude animalbone to a size of about 3 centimeters square; boiling the bone in waterat a temperature between about 200° C. to about 400° C. for about 90minutes to remove organic substances, the organic substances comprisingat least; gelatin, fats, proteins and glue; calcining the boiled bone ata temperature between about 900° C. to about 1100° C. for a time periodbetween about 80 minutes to about 180 minutes to reduce the watercontent of the bone to an amount between substantially 0% to about 6%;cooling the calcined bone to room temperature over a time period ofabout 60 minutes; and further beneficiating the bone to said sizebetween about 20 mesh to about 200 mesh.
 12. The food preservativeaccording to claim 11, wherein:the particles consist essentially of abone structure maintaining a large number of the pores of the originalbone tissue; said calcined animal bone in water produces a solutionhaving a pH of greater than 7.5; said calcined animal bone comprisessubstantially hard bones, said substantially hard bones being from atleast one of the following animals:at least one bovine animal, at leastone equine animal, and at least one sheep; the particles of calcinedbone have a size between about 50 mesh to about 100 mesh; said calcinedanimal bone has a water content of about 0% by weight.
 13. The foodpreservative according to claim 9, wherein said calcined animal bone isprepared by the steps of:beneficiating crude animal bone to a size ofabout 3 centimeters square; boiling the bone in water at a temperaturebetween about 200° C. to about 400° C. for about 90 minutes to removeorganic substances, the organic substances comprising at least; gelatin,fats, proteins and glue; calcining the boiled bone at at temperaturebetween about 900° C. to about 1100° C. for a time period between about80 minutes to about 180 minutes to reduce the water content of the boneto an amount between substantially 0% to about 6%; cooling the calcinedbone to room temperature over a time period of about 60 minutes; andfurther beneficiating the bone to said size between about 20 mesh toabout 200 mesh.
 14. The food preservative according to claim 13,wherein:said calcined animal bone comprises substantially hard bones,said substantially hard bones being from at least one of the followinganimals:at least one bovine animal, at least one equine animal, and atleast one sheep; the particles of calcined bone have a size betweenabout 50 mesh to about 100 mesh; said calcined animal bone has a watercontent of about 0% by weight; the at least one of: a zeolite claypowder and a magnetic clay powder comprises a powder having a particlesize of between about 200 to about 500 mesh, and the clay powder isprepared by the steps of: firing the clay at 600° C. for about 3 hours,and powdering the clay; the mixture of calcined bone and clay powdercomprises: from 60% bone and 40% clay powder to 90% bone and 10% claypowder mixed with 20% to 30% by weight of water; the mixture is shapedinto at least one of:spheres having a diameter of from about 1 mm toabout 20 mm; and rods having a thickness of from about 5 mm to about 10mm and a length of about 50 mm; and the shaped mixture is furthertreated by the steps of: drying the shaped mixture by one of:drying atroom temperature for 2 to 8 days; and irradiating with far infra-redrays; calcining the dried shaped mixture at about 800° C. to about 1000°C. for about 1 to about 2 hours to lower the moisture content to about0%; and cooling the calcined shaped mixture for about 2 to about 6hours.